


The Lost Prince

by Reifromspace



Series: The Arcane Arts [1]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Magic, Arcane - Freeform, F/M, Fantasy, I dont usually ship this, Magic, Magic is sort of frowned upon, Maxvid shippers do not engage, but in this situation I think it works, there will be no underage you sick fucks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-03-29 20:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reifromspace/pseuds/Reifromspace
Summary: Max is the adopted son of the kingdom's monarch and his lover, as the prince however, there are prejudices in place that Max has to struggle against to prove himself. So Max, armed with his sarcasm, wit and a sword, hunts wild arcana to protect the common folk alongside his two best friends Neil and Nikki.When /She/ saves his life Max's worldview is shifted forever, he cannot go back to seeing things the same again, will she be Max's downfall or rise to the social status he deserves?





	1. Brazen Stupidity

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is, I don't know where it came from. I'm sorry? I think? I don't know? read it and if you feel I need to apologize I will...

Max was adopted, anyone in the kingdom with eyes could see that, though his fathers feigned ignorance anytime he had asked them. And because of this ignorance they were unaware of the of the struggles that he suffered as their price. The kingdom did not accept a foreign looking prince as readily as his fathers did, or as they expected the common folk too. For this Max had to work for, he spent tireless hours fighting alongside the soldier and the knights, he hunted wild arcana to keep the common folk safe alongside Nikki and Neil. They were a special task force the king had approved of.

It was because of this that Max had ended up omg predicament he was in. The last thing he could remember was running through the woods after a beast of magical origin, now he was tucked into bed and bandaged with no recollection of how he’d gotten there.

He was trying to recount what had happened, they were crashing through the trees and…. The monster has turned on them! He could remember that now and as he pushed himself into a sitting position the pain in his body seemed to corroborate that story.

As his gaze shifted around the room he noticed oddities, crystals, and trinkets, things Max would usually associate with the arcane, it made him uncomfortable. He was distracted from his thoughts though as soon as he heard someone come in.

His breath hitched as his eyes fell on her face, the glowing sepia tones of her skin framed by a mess of dark amber ringlets that had escaped a bun she messily pulled the rest of her hair into. Her cheeks were adorned with a gentle sprinkle of freckles and her blue eyes lit with curiosity as she gazed across the room at him. “You’re awake?” There was a hint of delight there in her bright face, Max knew so little people who looked even close to him that it was breathtaking to see another human being that wasn’t pale as fuck.

“Did you do this?” He motioned to the bandages that covered the worst of his wounds.

“I wrapped them, I didn’t cause them though, that was your own fault.” She gave him a little smirk that could rival his own.

Max rolled his eyes trying to put on his tough guy act shifting his shoulders, resisting the urge to wince at the pain that the tug of his muscles caused when they pulled at the sutras. “It wasn’t my fucking fault it was that bloody fucking beast I was hunting.” He hissed from between his teeth.

She could tell he was in pain but if he wouldn’t admit it she wasn’t going to bother to ask. “You mean the creature you backed into a corner? Are you really so stupid as to drive a Voxle into a corner and expect it not to attack you? You’re lucky I came around to save you when I did or you would be dead in a pool of your own blood on the floor of the forest.” She flicked his ear when she came close, acting with a familiarity even though he didn’t know who she was. 

“Ow.” He hissed covering his ear quickly with his hand. “I’m sure I would have been fucking fine without you, you’re just fucking annoying. What do you want anyways?” He took a moment to notice the slight point to her ears, now that he was closer he could get a better look at her.

“You would have been dead two days ago if it weren’t for me, maybe you should be grateful.” There was a slight lisp to her voice that made her actually pretty adorable, that pissed Max off a little.

“How long have I been out?” He was a little stunned by her words, were Nikki and Neil okay? Were they looking for him? He shifted anxiously bringing a whole new world of pain blossoming from his back.

Suddenly the girl was bent at his side, no longer cautious in her approach, her hand moving to rest on his arm in an attempt to calm him. “Hey now, you need to relax or you’re going to reopen wounds.” Her voice was a soothing tone now, trying to relax him, another thing that rubbed Max the wrong way.

“Fuck off, I’m fine, alright I will settle down.” He leaned back into the pillows crossing his arms and putting his best ‘grumpy patient’ face on.

She eased herself down onto the edge of the bed, her hand delicate where it lay on his forearm. “It’s been four days.” Her cool demeanor easing his hot temperament then and he simmered down.

“Where am I?” He forced himself onto the next question to avoid being swept up by her.

The teen shifted a little to look around her room trying to decide the answer to give him. “You’re in my house, just beyond where you chased the big six armed murder fur machine.” Was the answer she finally gave him after a moment of hesitation.

“How-“ Max was about to ask more questions when he was suddenly cut off.

“I will answer more questions in a bit, the best thing for you right now is sleep…” The way she addressed him in such an informal tone made him think she didn’t know who he was, he held onto this information saving it till he determined if giving away who he was would be more of a hindrance or not. He wasn’t sure if it was safe to sleep there, but given his lack of anything other options, he would accept it until it was no longer vital. 

“Fine.” He grumbled before adding ; “Fuck off and let me sleep.” This got her moving and he watched as she retreated.

“Good.” Was all the woman managed to say before Max slid unconscious?


	2. Maxwell Campbell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerris is growing on Max, but Max may have scared her off for good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted a chapter since uploading the first! Life got really far away from me and things happened and I went on Hiatus! BUT IM BACK NOW SO BAM CHAPTER

She seemed so amused by his temper over the following days, making him drink soup and eat breads and cheeses. The elven eared girl took good care of him, applying salves to his wounds and as he healed she helped him regain movement. There was always a lot of swearing involved, and always ended in him telling her to fuck off, but she took it all in her stride acting like it was simply a dance with him that she had grown far too used to.

She answered very little of his questions, though some often seemed like things she just didn’t know. “Has anyone been looking for me?” he asked one day.

“When I leave I only go to the woods to gather food and herbs… I don’t really wish to interact with the townsfolk.” She said honestly as she slowly uncurled the last remaining bandage that covered the worst of the wounds on his back.

Max made a face, trying not to portray the pain he was in as she brought the cool cloth to the wound. “That seems a little odd.” 

“Folk don’t really like me around these parts….” She lowered the cloth looking away. “You’re the first person I’ve talked to in a while.”

“Why not go somewhere that people aren’t so hostile?” This idea seemed to confuse Max, if Nerris was so unwanted here why didn’t she go anywhere else, and why did he want to take the sudden pain this girl seemed to have away.

“There aren’t many places left for people like me….” This was a topic that they had both skirted for a long while, she had been helping him, she had saved his life and he felt like for that she was owed privacy and not to be judged but now the question burned in his chest.

“Arcane?” The word burned his tongue, he bit it back when he said it, regretting the sound of it the moment it hit his own ears.

She flinched back from him, almost like she might run and he caught her hand not ready to let her go. Nerris swallowed tightly. “I’ll tell you who I am if you tell me who you are, why were you hunting that beast, and what you’re going to do once this heals.” She referred to the mark on his back.

“Mutually assured destruction huh?” He asked with a little nod. “Makes sense….” Suddenly he didn’t want to tell her, didn’t want to say that he was the prince of the kingdom that would persecute her kind, why did he fucking care? He would never see her again after this it didn’t…. it mattered.

“So? Do we have ourselves a deal?” She looked at Max very seriously, there was a bravery in her eyes that Max wished he could have, the kind he would like to say he had, would lie about but knew he could never come even close to.

“Deal.” He said with a little nod looking at where he still had her hand in his, it took a moment to register and finally he let go.

She cleaned up the wound and redressed it before they talked, she sat with him as an equal, on the other end of the bed legs crossed. She wore skirts that she pulled down over her legs to cover them and had once again twisted the hair up and away from her face. His teal eyes trailed the little, escaped curls that trailed the edge of her face, getting lost there as he thought about what to tell her.

“As you know, I’m Nerris.” She said staring them off, catching Max off guard, something she seemed to be getting very good at, something that pissed Max off.

“I’m Maxwell.” He started, watching her face shift from one of curiosity to expectation. 

“Should I know that name?” Nerris asked eyeing his face curiously.

“Maxwell Campbell.” He clarified.

“The prince?” Her face twisted in horror and she was trying to get away faster then he should be moving.

“Nerris wait!” He hated that every muscle in his body screamed at him to make her stop, to make her wait and understand. 

Before he could stop her though she had fled the room, probably leaving him to die there alone, bed bound and hurt. It would only be a matter of days before his wound would begin to fester, a number of days after that before his blood would turn to poison. He would only have to suffer there for maybe 3 or 4 weeks before he died. 

That wasn’t the part that hurt him, what hurt him was that this lovely stubborn woman was suddenly gone and he would probably never see her again.


	3. Fear and Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerris comes back, intending to be cold but that doesn't last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!  
> Were you thinking that you would never see me again?  
> well surprised! I'm back and with new chapters every week for every single one of my active fics!  
> Waaaaahhhh?   
> come check out my tumblr writing-in-space to get all the deets, information on updates, and even super secret content.  
> anyways!  
> Here's another chapter!

It turned out that Nerris couldn’t leave him alone for long, he wasn’t sure if that was out of fear for what his family might do to her if she was found dead, or the fact that she didn’t she want a dead body in her home or if she couldn’t leave a broken thing like him to remain broken forever. What he did know was that it wasn’t anything like his desire to see her again.

When she came back into the room she had changed her clothes and had cleaned up. That did nothing to help his heart, it fluttered in his chest painfully and he gasped out for air in surprise of that pain. 

“Is it bad?” Suddenly the Nerris he had grown to know was back, all appearances of formality she had been trying to hold like an armor were gone and she was rushing to his bedside. 

She collapsed beside it when he put up a hand, swatting the hand and pulling away the dressings in what looked to Max like fear. Was she afraid of losing him? Or losing a patient?

He pushed her hand away gently. “I-it’s fine it’s not like that.” He stumbled over the words, he had been to balls set up to find suitors for him, he had talked to plenty of women but none of them made him feel so unsure in his own existence as she did.

She looked up at him with confusion not sure what he meant by that. “You’re in pain, let me look at it.” Her tone was a familiar one, her scolding and stern voice, imploring him to let her do something.

He sighed in defeat and let her at the last of his bandages. 

It was awkward for a while as he sat there while she cleaned and redressed his wounds. 

The tension was tight.

Both of them were trying not to say a million things.

Ask a million questions.

He stared at the top of her head for somewhere to look but that wasn’t really helping.

She finished off the dressing.

Shifted back.

Moved to stand up.

Max caught her hand so gently that I surprised even him.

She spun back around to look at him, fear on her eyes.

“Thank you.” Was all he managed to choke out, his chest felt tight as he drew her hand up to his lips, brushing them gently over her knuckles in proper fashion.

When she pulled away and turned to leave he thought he might have seen tears there but she was gone before he could get another good look.

Once again leaving Max laying there in silence.

What did he have against arcana? Why was he hunting it again? She seemed so good. He couldn’t have ever considered her evil, could he? Was this some sort of magic?

Carefully he rolled onto his side to face away from the door closing his eyes.

How was he ever going to be able to return to his normal life after this?

The simple answer was that he couldn’t.

The more difficult one was that he had to.


End file.
